Family
by Milaya Milen Zeal
Summary: "After the collapse of the Iifa Tree, what happened? How did Zidane escape? And what really became of Kuja?" Possible Zidane/Kuja or Kuja/Zidane, or simple Zidane Kuja
1. Prologue

_**Family**_

**Fandom:** Final Fantasy IX

**Rating:** Pending, but rated M just in case

**Pairing(s): **Undecided as of yet; open for suggestions.

**Summary:** After the collapse of the Iifa Tree, what happened? How did Zidane escape? And what really became of Kuja?

* * *

—**Prologue**—

"Can ya b'lieve 't?" a voice called out almost cheekily as a streak of red jumped from root to root, half of the words practically being swallowed as they were spoken. "Firs' 't stops breathin' out tha fog or whaeva tha stuff even was, den 't star's all ova 'gain, 'n' now the flippin' thin's jus' 'bout caved in on isself…"

"I know wha ya mean," said a second voice, the words much better articulated, but still not perfect, as a second streak landed on a nearby root. "The whole thin's a bloody mess. Tha's all it is…"

"Well, leas' 't go' riddof the flippin' walkin' bones 'r whaeva dey were… 'n' tha flippin' walkin' trees… trees ain't s'posed ta be movin' dang't all…"

"Oh jus' quit complainin' an' le's get goin' an' see if there's still any food left befere the boss's gonna skin our tails fer takin' so long."

"I'm gittin' I'm gittin'."

With that said, the two streaks became little more than blurs of red as they dashed all along the Iifa Tree's roots. When they stopped for a few brief moments, it became clear that they were humanoid creatures, though much of their body was covered in dark red fur, in a similar fashion as genomes when they reached Trance, and they had claws instead of hands and feet, black lupine noses, as well as elongated, fur-lined ears and bushy tails. Their faces were mostly humanoid, with the exception of their eyes, as their iris filled up their entire eye, and the small tufts of whisker-like fur on their cheeks.

The pair continued dashing for several long moments, before the first voice gave a surprised yelp.

"Oy! Kamen! Lookit wha Ah found 'ere!" the voice called out. "'s A flippin' boyd lyin' 'ere!"

"A bird? There ain't no birds tha dare get close us'ally…" mumbled the second voice – called Kamen by the first – before the accompanying fox like human joined the first. When he joined his friend, he immediately saw what he was meant to see. "…Kiito, tha ain't a bird, tha's a human!"

"No 's not! Lookit the head! 's Got feathers growin' from dere!"

"An' it's also got fur only on its head, idiot! Birds got feathers all over!"

The second fox – Kiito – turned to the creature he had found. It, too, was humanoid, but it had silvery colored hair (or fur as the foxes seemed to call it), and its skin tone was almost freakishly pale. It also wore what Kiito now recognized as clothes, but they certainly did not cover as much of its body as Kiito was used to from the few humans he had seen before. The most surprising fact of the creature's whole appearance, besides the heavy injuries that covered its body, were the feathers that seemed to be coming from its hair as well.

"Okay, _fine!_ So it ain't a boyd… whaeva, big flippin' whoop… wha we gonna do 'bout 't?"

"…is it alive is the main question, act'ally."

"…looks like. Ah can see 't breathin'. Ain't lookin' too healt'y though… So wha we gonna do?"

"…we leave it an' boss will tan our hides when he finds out… an' yanno he's definitely gonna find out."

"Yeah… Boss's scary when 'e's pissed… Ah'll carry 't 'long den."

"A'ight. Le's move out. Ain't nothin' more ta find here…"

"Righ'."

Kiito moved forward and flipped the pale, motionless form onto his back, and began to head back, Kamen following close behind. They moved slower now, though, so as not to jostle the figure Kiito carried. As they went, though, Kamen blinked in surprise as he noticed something.

"Whoa! He's got a _tail!_"

"'E's got a _what?!_"

"Ya heard me! He's got a bloody tail, _look!_" Kamen said as he walked forward and brought forth the long, silvery limb for Kiito to see.

"…Ah'll be damned… so wha does tha make dis guy?"

"I'm startin' ta wonder tha myself… anywho… le's take 'im-…hm?" Kamen paused what he was saying, as his ear twitched and he jumped down a few roots. "Ah! Got 'nother un ova here! This one's got a tail, too!"

"Really? Dang… ya t'ink dey're a diff'rent race altagetha or wha?"

"Possible… he's alive, though, so I'll bring 'im along too."

"A'ight!"

Kamen returned shortly after, carrying a much smaller figure on his back that seemed to be the perfect opposite of the one Kiito was carrying. Kamen's load was short, had light golden hair and a similarly colored tail, its skin was tanned and the clothes were darker in color, though equally torn and bloodied as the pale one's.

"Right! With tha outta the way, let's get-…eh?" Kamen paused once again, this time to lean up to the pale figure's face, one of his ears primed and twitching a little. "You say somethin' up there?"

"…die…"

"Say wha?"

"…l… me… ie… ple… le… m… d…"

"Dude, ya ain't makin' sense. Jus' lay still and we'll get ya outta here. Le's hurry, Kiito."

"Ah gotcha."

With those words, the pair moved away, leaving the remains of the giant Iifa Tree behind, completely unaware of what kind of load they were actually carrying.

* * *

**A/N: As I've only recently beaten FF9, I need to get this out of my system so as to continue with my other stories. Anyway, a few things to keep in mind;**

**This story will focus on what happens to Zidane and Kuja after the Iifa Tree's collapse, but it may not necessarily be Zidane/Kuja or Kuja/Zidane. This could end up becoming a simple family story as well, but I haven't fully decided on that yet. Hell, I may even turn it into two different versions or add alternate chapters.**

**As for the foxes; I figured that, given that the Outer Continent is mostly wilderness, there's enough space for there to be certain "hidden" races who stay underground for their own safety. And foxes would prefer staying away from humans mostly so as not to turn into fur coats.**


	2. Chapter 1 The Grand Tour

_**Family**_

—**Chapter 1 - The Grand Tour**—

"…Nurgh…" Zidane groaned as he tried to move, but his limbs were currently screaming bloody murder at him after what he had done prior to passing out demanding he stay put and rest. So, instead of moving, he decided to listen (for now) and stay put.

Which lasted for a full ten seconds before his eyes snapped open in alarm and he bolted upright with a panicked shout of his brother's name. "Kuja!"

"Whoa dude! Chill out will ya?! Ya gonna break yer spine if ya move tha quickly!"

Zidane blinked once and then turned to the source of the voice. And – had his body not rebelled against him – he would've jumped back in surprise. During his travels, he'd met a large variety of creatures, both friendly and not-so-friendly ones, but he had _never_ seen a creature like the one that stood before him now.

Fiery red hair/fur framed a rounded face with a small black nose in its center, and a pair of large, dark green eyes with vertical pupils and not a single trace of white was watching him curiously. It had two tufts of red trailing down from the side of its face and two long ears poked out from its mass of hair. The rest of its body was also covered in fur, but in a way that reminded Zidane of how he and his brother looked when they were in Trance, and a long, busy tail with a white tip was resting by its feet as it sat on its knees before him.

It wore only a few items of what Zidane _supposed_ could be called clothes, but the items were practical and seemed intended for the sake of protection rather than vanity. It wore a number of rings that were secured tightly around its limbs, with only a small section of it missing so it would be possible to remove it easier if needed, the feathers and teeth of various monsters (some of which Zidane actually recognized) hung on a necklace. Zidane was a little glad for the creature's fur, because this at least made it appear a little 'decent'. Not that it bothered him _too_ much; he just wasn't used to it.

"Whe… where are…?" Zidane cut off his own question when he realized his throat was _parched_ and he coughed in an attempt to fix that.

"Ah wait! Here," the creature said then, and a cup was brought to his mouth.

The liquid smelled awful, but really, Zidane was too thirsty to care, and he gratefully guzzled down the entire contents, barely managing to keep himself from choking. Thankfully, he was able to drink it all down without spewing it back out due to horrid taste.

"Urgh… disgusting…" he hissed out, however unintentional.

"Yeah, I know, but it keeps the lil un's 'way from the medicine," said the fox as he moved to the side and then dunked a second cup in what looked like some sort of large vase. When it was pulled out, it was overflowing with crystal clear water. "Here. Ya can wash the taste 'way with tha."

"Thanks…" Zidane said sincerely as he accepted the cup, taking slow, generous sips. Once he was sure his voice was working properly again, he turned to his… savior, he supposed. "So… where are we here?"

"Where? Well… Boss says this place used ta be called 'Eclipse Ground'… but no un's called it tha in a long time, really," the fox replied with a brief shake of his head.

"Eclipse Ground, huh?" Zidane murmured, wondering how far he really was from the ruins of the Iifa Tree's remains (given that there was still something left of it). As much as he wanted to ask about that, though, there was one question that took priority. "Hey… was I… was I the only one found? There… there should've been…"

"Two 'f ya? Yeah. He's righ' over there," the fox said, pointing past Zidane, making the blonde whip around.

As he did, he noticed two things;

One, he had been laying on a bed of what he thought was hay, and his blanket was a simple furred beast's hide.

Two, his brother was laying right next to him under a similar blanket.

"Kuja!" he cried out, moving closer to the taller Genome (nearly spilling his water) and yelped when his muscles objected to the sudden motion. Once his limbs stopped screaming at him, he crawled over to his brother's side and lightly shook him by his shoulder. Unfortunately, there was no response from the silver-haired male. "Kuja? Kuja, wake up!"

"Easy there," the fox called out as he walked over (on just his hind legs, mind you) to settle in a crouch beside Kuja. "He's got a few more injuries than ya, so his body's prolly tryin' ta preserve energy ta heal up."

"Really?" Zidane asked, his tail flicking out hopefully.

"Well… he shoul', at least…" the fox admitted. "He hasn't been gettin' worse… but he ain't been gettin' much better, either…" It paused for a moment to place a hand/claw on the Genome's head. "Well, he's cooled a bit, so tha's good. Jus' last night we could almost cook meat on 'im."

"Yike…" Zidane looked to his brother and, when the fox removed his hand, he reached out as well. As he had expected, Kuja was burning up. "Damn…" he mumbled, just as a bright idea hit him and he brought up his cup of water, dipping his fingers into the liquid.

The fox didn't even react as the blonde moved his cold fingers along Kuja's brow. The mage's skin twitched slightly under the cold, but then relaxed and Kuja released a soft sigh, one that sounded almost pleased, and it made Zidane chuckle. When the fox chuckled as well, Zidane looked up to him, and saw that he seemed about as amused with the situation as Zidane felt, given the grin playing along his lupine features. And Zidane had a feeling he was going to like this critter.

"Oh, I'm Zidane, by the way," he said, a little late on the introduction, but better late than never. "And this sleepin' lug is Kuja."

The fox blinked, before he grinned. "Name's Kira. Nice meetin' ya, Zidane!"

* * *

As Zidane soon learned (after talking to Kira to pass the time), they were kept in a cave that Kira's people had apparently dug out ages ago. Apparently, the pair had been found by some of the village's guards that had explored the Iifa Tree's remains and had, for whatever reason, decided to take them home. Zidane wasn't about to look a gifted Chocobo in the mouth and remained in the room he had found himself and Kuja in until he felt well enough to walk around.

Kuja remained sound asleep during the entire time he spent there, and if he had ever been awake, it was when Zidane wasn't awake. Kira never mentioned that the other Genome had woken up, so he doubted he actually had.

Zidane wasn't sure how much time passed, given how they were underground, but it was at around the 5th time he woke up that someone else was in the room alongside Kira. The moment Zidane saw him, he _knew_ this fox was different, despite him being the second one Zidane had ever seen.

He was as tall as Kira, but his bare skin was littered with scars, his hair covered his left eye and was decorated by numerous decorative beads of multiple different colors, and he had more rings secured around his wrists, almost like gauntlets. His eye color was a lighter color than Kira's.

The blonde watched him from under the blanket for a moment, before deciding he'd slept long enough and sat up, stretching his arms above his head with a barely suppressed yawn. "Nnnnrgh… Good morning!" he called out cheerily in greeting.

Kira blinked once, then smirked. "Mornin', Zidane!"

The newcomer turned to regard him, and then nodded, his own tail swaying lightly behind him, drawing attention the rings circled around the furry appendage as well. "Yes, good morning."

Zidane _almost_ cocked his head at the newcomer's lack of accent (though he couldn't be sure if that was normal or not), but, instead, he grinned and nodded. "You're a new face… decided to visit the sicklings?"

"I do believe 'sicklings' is not an actual word," the newcomer said solemnly, but he allowed a small smirk of his own. "And given the circumstances, I thought it high time to, as you so say, visit."

Kuja would probably get along with this guy very well; they definitely talked roughly the same and held themselves in similar fashions, regal and confident. "Well, thanks for that. Sorry my bro's not awake to say 'hi' too, though."

"Given his condition, it does not surprise me he has not yet woken… I do not know what it was you two did amongst the tree's roots but…" the fox murmured, before he cut himself off and shook his head. "I apologize; I was rambling." Bringing a hand to his chest, he said: "My name is Kirona. It is a pleasure to meet you."

Zidane grinned at the formal introduction, further reinforcing his thought that he and Kuja would be able to get along just fine, and thumbed his own chest (taking care of his own remaining bruises) as he said: "The name's Zidane. And this guy's Kuja."

Kirona nodded, even as Kira started moving to Kuja's side to change the mage's makeshift bandages. The first time Zidane had watched Kira do so, he had, despite knowing the extend of Kuja's injuries when he'd jumped down into the bowels of the Iifa Tree, gasped in slight horror. Long, jagged cuts from his fall past the hundreds of thorns of the Iifa Tree littered his arms and legs, some longer than others, but the worst of the injuries had been the one that Zidane had originally overlooked in the tree, given that Kuja's hand had been hiding it from view before. Zidane had seen a lot of injuries in his life, but this left even _him_ queasy; the skin along his abdomen had been almost entirely ripped off, and Zidane was almost afraid to look in case Kuja's organs came pouring out. Thankfully, Kira seemed to have an iron stomach and wasn't the slightest bit alarmed by it.

Though he did mention he didn't want to run into whatever it was that delivered those injuries, to which Zidane's tail had stiffened in alarm, even if is face showed no visible change.

"He has not woken yet?" Kirona asked after a moment more.

"Nope," said Kira as he cleaned the injuries carefully before redressing them. "Tried gettin' 'im ta eat an' drink somethin', but he didn't even bother… If not fer Zidane, he woulda starved by now."

Zidane almost choked on a laugh then as he remembered _that_ particular incident.

Kira had brought in some food for them later on the day when Zidane had woken up, and while it wasn't like anything he was used to, really, he'd been hungry enough to eat a Zaghnol. Raw, if he had to. So the blonde genome had immediately dug in hungrily, finishing his plate in moments. Kuja, however, was still unconscious and in no state to be eating anything. Kita had still attempted to make him eat _something_, though, but he had failed to get the silver-haired genome to open his mouth.

At which point Zidane had reached over and pinched his nose shut. And when Kuja had, instinctively, opened his mouth to breathe, Zidane had snagged the piece of meat Kira had been hoping and – after tearing off a small chunk – had stuffed it into his mouth before snapping his jaws together. Of course, Kuja had resisted – he hadn't woken, yet he resisted – but Zidane made sure he wouldn't spit it back out and kept his hands over his brother's mouth, forcing him to eat.

Only when Kuja had swallowed did Zidane ease up, after which he had commented on Kuja being stubborn even though he was knocked out.

"I see…" Kirona murmured as he gave a small nod of acknowledgement. He remained to watch Kira work for several moments, before he finally turned back to Zidane. "Can you stand?"

"Hm? Yeah, of course!" Zidane chirped and tossed off the fur blanket before he stood up. His original outfit had been ripped up quite badly because of both his fight with Kuja and Necron _and _his leap into the Iifa Tree's bowels, but he had somehow managed to save them from turning into actual rags.

Kuja's clothes, however…

Kirona nodded and then gestured for the hole in the wall through which Kira had often disappeared and reappeared. "If you wish, I can show you around. I fear our home is not much to look at when compared to your… cities, I believe is the word, but…"

"Ah, 's fine," Zidane said with a laugh, waving it off. "And yeah, a tour would be good. Least I can get some more movement in."

Kira had already allowed him on his feet a while back, but had requested he not leave the room yet, because he wanted to be sure he wouldn't collapse somewhere in exhaustion. Given how said fox wasn't making a big fuss over the concept of him going along with Kirona, it was probably fine.

Kirona nodded, and then began to walk, and Zidane was quick to follow, hands behind his head. As he went, though, he cast one last look to his sleeping brother as Kira set him back under the blankets.

"You seem very worried about him…" said Kirona suddenly. "Are you close friends?"

"Friends?" Zidane repeated in slight surprise, before he shook his head. Kuja and he were a lot of things, but 'friends' was not a term that fit them. Of course, explaining that _and_ explaining why he was worried was not easy. "No, not really… we're… well, we're kinda like… brothers, I suppose."

Rather than question it, however, Kirona seemed to accept his answer as valid. "I see…" was all he said in response, before he seemed to consider his next question. When he spoke, however, Zidane was a little surprised at what it was. I assume you have much of your own questions to ask… If you'd like, I can try to answer some for you."

"Really? Cool! Okay… sooo… you guys live near the Iifa Tree?"

"Iifa Tree… I suppose you mean the large tree that was spewing out the Mist before, correct?"

"Yeah, that one!"

"Yes, we live near it… although, I must admit, there is not much left of it at this point."

"I thought as much… So, who's in charge around here?"

"Ah… that would be Kurasa. Many of us here call him either 'Boss' or 'Leader'," Kirona said, and Zidane noticed that, as he spoke, a small smile played along the fox's face. "He has been watching over us for a long time already, though none of us are truly certain precisely how long, and he takes care of us well. He regards us all to be his family."

"Huh… really?" Zidane asked, rather curious now. "Hey, there any chance of meeting him while we tour?"

"…That, I cannot say," Kirona admitted. "The only time I know for certain where Kurasa is is during the night, when he returns to his own nest… ah, pardon my phrasing," he added when he spotted Zidane's quirked eyebrow. "I believe humans refer to it as a 'room'."

"Aaah, okay. So the only time he's inside is when he's sleeping, huh?"

"As far as I am aware, yes."

Zidane nodded to show he understood. As they continued to walk, he took a moment to take in their surroundings properly. The hall they were in appeared completely manmade (or maybe "foxmade" was the better term), and there were lanterns strung up at regular intervals, though he couldn't really say what kind of fuel they used. Maybe he should ask that later…

"Hmm… oh yeah! You guys ever get into contact with humans much?" The second he finished the question, though, Kirona's expression darkened a little and Zidane was sure he'd asked a sensitive question. "Um… sorry. Forget I asked that. I just—"

"No, it is fine," the fox said with a small sigh, shutting his eyes. "There… used to be a day… well, so Kurasa tells us, when we and humans lived as one… but… I do not know… something… changed."

"…something like what?"

"…I do not know… I was not yet sired when it occurred," Kirona admitted. "All I know is that, when it happened Kurasa was little more than a kit."

"Really? Wow… guess that was a really long time ago…"

Kirona nodded and opened his mouth to respond… but another voice from behind them beat him to it.

"So it was indeed."

Kirona's ears snapped backward immediately and he tensed so sharply that his head ducked down a few inches, before he whipped around in surprise. "Kurasa!"

Zidane's tail almost shot up in surprise, before he turned around as well… and then almost gawked.

If he thought Kuja had been tall, it was nothing compared to the fox that stood in one of the other halls, one powerful claw placed upon the wall, long nails scraping along the rocky wall. His hair was long and segmented into several long ponytails (or should that be "foxtails", given the white tips?), and his tail was almost three-fourth his own body length. His entire body was littered with scars, even more so than Kirona. He had several rings around his wrists, ankles and even his neck, and he had the same type of beads secured in his hair. His left ear was actually pierced with several different colored stones, and the right was missing a large circular section, while a single fang dangled on a chain. Unlike the others he had seen thus far, however, the fox had several cloths and armored plates secured across his chest and waist.

Actually… now that he thought about it… that dress code looked… awfully familiar…

"Soo… you're the 'Boss' 'round here?" Zidane asked cheekily, though he didn't really need the much taller fox to answer. Even if Kirona hadn't mentioned his name, Zidane would've known just by seeing him. He radiated nothing but raw power, and the dark black lines that ran along his fur made him seem even more dangerous, his eyes were as cold as ice, promising pain to all whom stood in his way. And yet, when Zidane locked onto those eyes, he could see into the depths of the sea that rested beneath that icy layer and saw what Kirona had already spoken of; affection and compassion.

The fox's expression barely shifted, but Zidane had a feeling the 'big boss' was sizing him up to try and determine if there was any chance of him being a threat. From what he knew, foxes didn't really have natural enemies, and the only ones who proved to be their undoing were humans, so it was only natural for them to be suspicious and/or wary of him.

Finally, though, his expression softened and the ice of his eyes seemed to melt.

"I suppose that's one way to put it," Kurasa said with a voice that could almost be called casual as he crossed his arms over his chest, his tail flicking briefly at the air behind him. "I'd sooner call myself a guardian of sorts, but the others are free to call me as they please."

"Oh… okay, cool." Kurasa seemed to be a little less stiff than Kirona, but he still retained an air of authority, nonetheless. "Well, pleased to meet you. I'm Zidane."

"Likewise," said the fox with a nod, before he turned to the fox standing beside the monkey-tailed genome and said: "Kirona."

"Yes sir?"

"Spread the word; 'stay inside'. Kiito and Kamen say another group has been sighted."

"…already?" Kirona asked, sounding genuinely confused as he tilted his head. However, that lasted for only a moment before he nodded. "Very well. As you wish."

Kurasa merely nodded, then turned to Zidane and said: "As much as I'd like to stay and chat, I have some things that need attention. I'll probably see you and your friend another time."

"Aww," the blonde whined, a bit childishly, before he grinned and shrugged. "Well alright. Guess it can't be helped. See you later."

The fox merely nodded and turned on his heel, walking back along the hall he had come from. As he went, however, Zidane couldn't help but notice the markings on Kurasa's back. They were more distinctive than any of the others, and resembled the image of a fox, ready to pounce, with a total of nine tails coiled around it into the shape of wings.

"Wow…" he breathed when the fox had gone out of sight, and Kirona turned to him with a small smile.

"You saw it, did you not?"

"The thing on his back? Yeah. What was that?"

"Proof," Kirona said simply, making Zidane look at him oddly. "It is proof that he is… well, in his own words… our 'guardian'. From what I have heard, when the duty is passed on, the former leader would draw the mark on the back of his successor."

"Really? And it stays forever?"

"Until the successor is chosen again… or so I've been told. I really do not know for certain. I have never seen it happen, as Kurasa is the only one I could ever imagine leading us…" Kirona fell silent then, as though contemplating, before he shook his head. "In any case, I hate to break off the tour so suddenly, but I—"

"Heh. Don't worry. I know what might happen if you don't listen to the Boss," Zidane laughed out, recalling how Baku would beat their skulls in if they failed to do as they were told when they were younger. "You just run along. I can find my way back easy."

That much was true. It might not have seemed like he wasn't paying attention, but Zidane had been mapping the entire route in the back of his head as they walked. It came with living in a city like Lindblum, after all; the city was huge, and it was rather easy to get lost.

"Are you sure?"

"Sure I'm sure! You just run along and I'll head back on my own!"

Kirona considered this for a few moments, before he allowed a smile and nodded. "In that case, I will do just that. Thank you."

The fox didn't wait for a response however, and instead, before Zidane could so much as blink, he whipped around, dropped forward, catching his fall on his hands, and then launched himself forward with such speeds it rivaled a cannonball being shot from a cannon. Zidane let out a cry of surprise when Kirona then leaped up, landed on the wall, and kicked off in the opposite direction, gone in a flash of red as though he had never been there in the first place.

"…wow… fast…" was all Zidane could get out, his tail tip twitching slightly in awe.

He stood gawking like that for several more moments, before he shook himself out of his stupor and grinned his infamous grin that his friends would've known spelt trouble.

"Right! Time to do some exploring of my own! And then I'll head back as I promised!"

* * *

**A/N: You guys didn't think Zidane would just go straight back, did you?**

**Anyway, with Kuja still being unconscious, there wasn't much "action", which of course, is going to change later… though I still haven't decided what to do. I guess I've no choice but to see where it'll go when I get to the next chapter.**


End file.
